Adventure time: a summer bucket list

Get your butt outside and try some of these unforgettable experiences

Tube the Gaspereau River
It’s as simple as it sounds—grab a tube, hop in it and float your ass down the bubbling valley river. Find your friendly roadside tube rental for this bucket-lister, but heads up—make sure you check the river levels before heading out (look up Gaspereau River Tubing on Facebook, its expertly updated). As of this week they’ll be too low to tube for a bit, but keep your eyes peeled for your next opportunity.3484 Black River Road, Wolfville

Raft the Tidal Bore
The Shubenacadie River is an amazing thing. It can rock an inflatable raft of humans like some kind of crazy carnival ride. Nature’s very own rollercoaster will have you bouncing, shrieking, soaked and laughing to kill yourself, so check the tide schedule (it’s high from late-June to mid-July, FYI) and load the car with pals.Whitewater Adventures, Gosse Bridge, South Maitland, $75, tidalboreraftingtours.com

Ruminate at Keji’s Dark Sky Weekend
Feel like a speck of dust by taking the time to take in constellations, planets and other flickering lights in the sky from your campsite at Kejimkujik Park. Members of the Royal Astronomical Society will be on-hand, and there’ll be events to add to the magic. August 5-7, 3005 Main Parkway, Maitland Bridge, pc.gc.ca

Win a sandcastle competition
If you build it they will come. They being judges, prize, snacks, music and loads of fellow sand architects. The nearly 40-year-old competition is a piece of Nova Scotia beach history, so what are you going to build? August 14, Clam Harbour Beach,
158 Beach Road, Eastern Shore, 9am, $10, halifax.ca/sandcastle